Typewriter page bottom margin indicator



May 26, 1953 L. c. JIMENEZ TYPEWRITER PAGE'BOTTOM MARGIN INDICATOR Filed Feb. 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN/TOR. L 6. c/z'nzezzez,

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ATTD RN EYS May 26, 1953- c. JIMENEZ TYPEWRITER PAGE BOTTOM MARGIN INDICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 15 1951 INVENTOR. Luzls C. c/z'nzz nez,

ATTORNEYS Patented May 26, 1953 TYPE-WRITER PAGE BOTTOM MARGIN INDICATOR Luis Carlos Jimenez, Panama, Panama Application February 15, 1951, Serial No. 211,088

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to attachments for typewriters of the type used for balancing typewritten matter on a page, and in particular an attachment positioned on one end of the carriage of a typewriter and geared to the shaft of the platen whereby with the device set to a letter or legal size page a, warning is given when the typewritten matter reaches -a predetermined distance from the end of the page.

The purpose of this invention is to prevent writing too close to the lower end of a typewritten page and thereby eliminate uneven or crowded typewritten lines on the lower end of a p e sheet of paper.

Numerous typewritten pages are rejected because the operator of a typewriter continues to write until the typewritten matter runs off, or runs too close to the end of the page. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a gage positioned on the end of the carriage of a typewriter which automatically operates to provide a warning after so many lines have been written.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for forming an attachment so that it may be mounted on the end of a carriage of a typewriter and geared to the platen shaft so that a warning is provided to indicate that the typewritten matter has reached a predetermined distance from the end of a page.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottom margin indicator for pages written in typewriters which may be set to operate for both letter size and also legal size paper.

A further object of the invention i to provide a bottom margin indicator for typewriters which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a small, substantially cylindrical casing attached to the end of the carriage of a typewriter and positioned whereby a gear thereon meshes with a gear on the shaft of the platen and means therein that operates to provide a warning when the platen has been actuated to advance paper positioned therein a 'predetermined number of times.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view with the bell, which forms a cover, and also a thumb knob on the outer end of a shaft, omitted, and with the shaft and sleeve thereon shown in section.

Figure 2 is a substantially vertical section taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1 showing the parts assembled.

Figure 3 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 1 illustrating the parts in the released positions wherein the device is traveling in a clockwise direction under the influence of a helical spring in the device.

Figure 4 is a detail illustrating an elevational view showing the bell and operating knob.

Figure 5 is a plan iew of the-parts shown in Figure 4 with the knob extended.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the typewriter page bottom .margin indicator of this invention includes a shaft 10 mounted in a plate I I forming the end of the carriage of a typewriter, a gear wheel 12 positioned on the shaft having gear teeth [3 in the periphery and having an annular band or flange I4 extended therefrom, an inner wheel I5 positioned against a shoulder I6 on the shaft, a trigger l1 pivotally mounted on the inner wheel, a brake or clutch shoe I8 also pivotally mounted on the inner wheel I5, a segment 20 mounted on the shaft and having a socket therein positioned to pick up a roller 2| on the shoe [8, a cam 22 having a lobe 23 thereon positioned to engage a bell clapper 24, a bell 25 positioned to provide a cover for the operating parts, a knob 26 carried by the outer end of the shaft and pins 21 and 28 positioned to be ene gaged by the trigger H.-

The shaft I0 is mounted in the plate ll carried by the end of the carriage of a typewriter and the shaft is positioned with the axis thereof extended straight outwardly parallel to the axis of the platen. The outer end of the shaft is threaded and a cap 29 is threaded thereon, providing means for retaining the knob 26 in position on the end of the shaft. The cap is provided with a sleeve 30 that extends into a recess 3| in the knob and the inner end of the knob is positioned against the outer surface of the bell 25 to retain the bell in position on the shaft. The bell is positioned in an opening 32 in a cover plate 33 that is mounted on the end plate ll of the carriage and that extends downwardly as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The pins 21 and 28 extend between the outer cover plate 33 and the plate ll andthe pin 28.

' or letter size sheets, and to the opposite end of 3 the slot as indicated by the letter L when it is desired to use legal size or long sheets.

The gear wheel I2 is free to rotate on the shaft 10 and the inner wheel l5, which is also free to rotate is resiliently held by the spiral spring l9, the inner end of which is secured to the shaft ID by a key 31, and the outer end to the wheel I-5'by a pin 38.

The trigger I! is pivotally mounted on the wheel l5 by a pin 39 by which the trigger is psitioned to contact the pins 21 and 28, whereby in the return movement the flat side 40 .of the trigger engages the pin 21 and with the parts traveling in a counter-clockwise direction the sloping surface 41' thereof contacts the .pin 28,

for a letter size sheet, or the opposite side of the pin 21 when the pin 28 is moved outwardly out of the path of the trigger, for aflegal size sheet. The inner end of the trigger is provided with a projecting lug .42 that is positioned to engage a tooth 43 on the cam 22, as shown in Figure 1. The trigger is resiliently held by a spring 44, one end of which is attached to the trigger through an opening 45, and the opposite end to the bell clapper arm'43 through an opening 41.

The brake shoe I8 is also mounted on the inner wheel l5, being pivotally attached thereto bya pin 48, and theshoe, which is formed with an arcuate flange 49 that contacts the inner surface of the flange I4 of the wheel l2, is also provided with a pin 50 upon which the roller 2| is rotatably mounted, and the roller is positioned to be engaged by'a finger on the segment 20 which-draws the roller into a slot 52 in the segment to free the flange 49 from the flange |4as the device operates.

The segment 29 is returned to the position shown in Figure 1 by a spring 53 which extends around a sleeve 54 .on theouter section of the shaft l0, one end of the spring being secured in a projection 55 of the cam 22 and the other extended across a projection 5.6on the segment.

The device is set by the knob 26 which, through the sleeve 54, rotates the cam 22 until the lug 42 drops into the recess .51, where it passes over the tooth 43. In this position the brake shoe or flange 49 is resiliently held'against the inner surface of the flange 14 by the sprin 53. Thezcam 22 isprovided with a small stop 58 that guides the lug 42 into the recess 51 and over the end of the tooth 43.

Upon operation of the platen on the shaft 59, which rotates in a clockwise direction, a pinion 60 fixedly mounted on the platen shaft rotates the entire mechanism in a counterclockwise direction through the gear |'3 on the wheel l2 and upon continued operation of the platen as typing advances on the sheet the trigger |l moves around until it engages one of the pins 28 or 27.

Upon engagement of the trigger H with one of the pins the lug 42 is "moved away from the tooth 43 and the'cam 2-2 'isactuated by a spring 6|, one end of which is attached to theprojeotion 55 of the cam, and the other to a pin 6 extended from the wheel 15, and in this movement the projection '23 engages the roller .24, the arm 46 being .pivotally :mounted on the wheel by .a pin 63, whereby the roller strikes the bell 2.5. In the same movement a surface 64 of the cam 22 engages the projection 56 of the segment and the finger :5] is actuated to draw the roller 2| with the shoe .or flange 49 away from the flange I4 so that the parts are released and free to return with the spring i9 rotating the parts until the surface 45 of the trigger ll engages the pin 23.

The inner Wheel I5 is provided With a recess 65 to provide clearance for the flange 49 and the segment 20 is provided With an arcuate shoulder 65 that is positioned to engage the roller 2| for holding the flange 49' against the flange l4 with the parts in the position shown in Figure 1.

The parts are comparatively small and, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 the operating in- .strumentalities are positioned behind the plate 33 with the parts substantially enclosed below the bell 25 and with the device mounted in the opening 32 of the plate 33 and attached to the plate If so that the gear I3 meshes with the gear 'on the shaft 59 of the platen 61. The device may be actuated by turning the knob 68 .of the platen, and set by the knob 26 on theend of the shaft H] which is keyed to sleeve 54 by a projection 67 on the end of the sleeve 54 that extends into a notch 68 in the hub of the knob.

With the parts arranged in this manner the typist first sets the pin 28 for letter or legal s'me paper, then inserts the paper in the typewriter until the top edge thereof reaches the wing scale or writing level and with the paper in this position the knob 26 is rotated in a clockwise direction until the .lug 42 of the trigger engages the tooth 43. In this position the spring 53 resiliently holds the segment 28 so that the shoe 49 is in frictional engagement With the inner surface of the flange l4 and as the flange I4 is rotated by the platen gear BB and gear I3 the device travels in a counterclockwise direction and this action continues until the trigger is tripped by one of the pins 28 or 21, as described.

When the cam 22 is released by the trigger it rotates counterclockwise in relation to the inner wheel I5, being actuated by the spring 6|, thereby neutralizing the force of the spring 53. In this movement the segment 20 is moved counter-clockwise, the surface 64 of the cam 2 engaging the projection 56 of the segment. The finger 5| then engages the roller 2| and draws the shoe 49 away from the flange l4 whereby the parts are released so that they return, rotating in the clockwise direction, as described.

With the parts released the operator of the typewriter is free to move the platen and other parts without interference thereof by this device.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A typewriter sheet bottom margin indicator comprising a platen having a shaft, a carriage stops mounted on the end of the carriage and 70 positioned to be engaged by said trigger, releasable means operatively connecting the inner wheel to thegear wheel, a .knob journaled on said stub shaft, and spring actuated means settable tococked position by said knob and latched in cocked position by said trigger for releasing said releasable means, whereby upon tripping engagement of said trigger with one of said stops the parts are released for a return movement thereof.

2. A typewriter sheet bottom margin indicator comprising a platen having a shaft, a carriage in which the platen is journaled, said carriage having plates at the ends, a stub shaft mounted in an end plate at one end of the carriage and positioned in spaced relation to the said platen shaft, a pinion mounted on the platen shaft, a gear wheel rotatably mounted on the stub shaft and positioned in meshing relation with the said pinion, an inner Wheel also journaled on said stub shaft, a trigger carried by the said inner wheel, stops mounted on the end of the carriage and positioned to be engaged by said trigger, releasable means operatively connecting the inner wheel to the gear wheel, a knob journaled on said stub shaft, and spring actuated means settable to cocked position by said knob and latched in cocked position by saidtrigger for releasing said releasable means, whereby upon tripping engagement of said trigger with one of said stops the parts are released for a return movement thereof, and resilient means returning the parts to the starting position.

3. A typewriter sheet bottom margin indicator comprising a platen having a shaft, a carriage in which the platen is journaled, said carriage having plates at the ends, a stub shaft mounted in an end plate at one end of the carriage and positioned in spaced relation to the said platen shaft, a pinion mounted on the platen shaft, a gear wheel rotatably mounted on the stub shaft and positioned in meshing relation with the said pinion, an inner wheel also journaled on said stub shaft, a trigger carried by the said inner wheel, stops mounted on the end of the carriage and positioned to be engaged by the said trigger, releasable means operatively connecting the inner wheel to the gear wheel, a knob journaled on said stub shaft, and spring actuated means settable to cocked position by said knob and latched in cocked position by said trigger for releasing said releasable means, whereby upon tripping engagement of said trigger with one of said stops the parts are released for a return movement thereof, a bell, and means responsive to operation of said spring actuated means for ringing said bell.

4. A typewriter attachment comprising a stub shaft, a gear Wheel having a flange extended at one side journaled on said stub shaft, a pinion formed to be mounted on the shaft of a platen of a typewriter and having teeth formed to mesh with the teeth of the gear wheel, an inner wheel journaled on the stub shaft, a spiral spring positioned between the gear wheel and inner wheel with one end secured to the shaft and the other to the inner wheel, a brake shoe pivotally mounted on the inner wheel and positioned to frictionally engage the inner surface of the flange of the gear wheel, a trigger pivotally mounted on the inner wheel and extended beyond the gear wheel, stop means positioned to be engaged by the trigger, said trigger having a projection on the inner end, a cam journaled on the stub shaft and having a tooth positioned to engage the projection of the trigger, resilient means for actuating said cam, a segment journaled on the shaft, resilient means holding the segment in relation to the cam, means actuating the brake shoe to gripping and releasing positions by the segment, and means manually setting the cam to a cooked position wherein the tooth thereof is engaged by the projection of the trigger to latch the cam in cocked position.

LUIS CARLOS JIMENEZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,388,320 Bacsanyi Aug. 23, 1921 2,212,463 Thomas Aug. 20, 1940 

